In applications that vary from projection systems to optical fiber coupled illumination in endoscopy, there is an increasing need for high brightness illumination sources. Therein, bright discharge lamps are the state of the art broadly used today. The latest developments are combining light sources having a high power density, e.g. a LASER source (for example a laser diode), with light (here also encompassing invisible ultraviolet and infra-red radiation) converting phosphor elements remote from the exciting light source. In this way, typically ultra-violet or blue pump light can be converted to light having a longer wavelength by the phosphor (down conversion).
Various embodiments provide an improved phosphor assembly for converting pump light.